Closing Time
by LOSTrocker
Summary: Just because people are gone doesn't mean they don't get visiting hours.


**A/N:** Found out a few of my regular costumers have passed away this week. One, I just found out recently, and it was really weird that they won't be coming in anymore. So, this one is for them. Plus, I wanted to play around with Tilly and Joe some.

**Closing Time:**  
By: LOSTrocker

Tilly was closing up when a familiar voice on the stage got her attention.  
"You look like you could use a break,"

Tilly was surprised when she looked up and saw who it was. "Joe?" she  
questioned with a raised eye brow. "What are you doing here?"

"You know the last time I checked, this place was mine." He reminded her  
with a smile. "I can come and go whenever I want, you know."

"I know, but what about-" Tilly was going to list the number of things  
she had to do before closing this place up for the night but Joe stopped her.

"It's not going anywhere, and I'm not either unless you come up  
here," he made known, motioning her to the stage.

Tilly took a step back and shook her head. "I don't think so Dawson, I  
gave up singing sometime ago."

"Now, why's that?" he asked her.

The urge to cry was becoming stronger every second. "You know why."

"Please, don't stop on my account. C'mon," he insisted, with open  
arms.

"You're not going to stop bugging me unless I do this are you?"  
Tilly asked him. Joe smirked, giving her the answer. "Damn you Dawson and  
your stubborn ways,"

"You love it, hell it's why you fell in love with me isn't it?" he  
returned with a laugh.

Tilly made herself comfortable on his "lap". Joe slid his arms around her  
with his guitar in hand so she could reach for it to if she wanted to join in.  
"Let's see, what should it be tonight?" he asked her. "I guess blues  
is out of the question uh?"

She nodded. She wasn't in the mood for the blues tonight. He smiled. "I  
think I have a good idea," Then Joe started to play one of her favorite  
songs: "Have a Little Faith in Me". It was one hell of a choice.

Tilly didn't join in with Joe this time, at least for most part of the  
song. She joined in on the last part:

"…I Said, I Will Hold You Up, I Will Hold You Up  
Your Love Gives Me Strength Enough  
So Have A Little Faith In Me  
I Said.....  
All You Gotta Do For Me Girl Is Have A Little Bit Of Faith In Me,  
I Said... I Said... Hey."

Tilly sniffed a little and put her arms around him. Joe put his instrument  
aside so he could get a better grip on her. "Geez, it hasn't been five  
minutes and you guys are pulling that mushy gooshy stuff on me… Can't you  
give a guy a break?"

Tilly pulled apart from Joe and smiled when she saw Richie had joined them.  
She hopped off Dawson so she could give her share of hugs to her old pal.  
"RICHIE!" she said happily. "What the hell are you doing here Ryan?"

"Hey, a party, isn't a party unless I'm on the scene," he declared.  
"Could you at least liven it up a little Dawson?" Richie pleaded to the  
guitar player.

Joe laughed. "Give me a request, just none of that rap please."

"C'mon now, I got some skill!" Richie tried to say.

Tilly laugh. "You can't carry a tone Rich, hate to break it to you."

Joe chose a bit more up beat song this time out of Richie's sake. "Drift  
Away," by The Rolling Stones. Richie couldn't sing, it was true, but that  
didn't stop him from doing it. Tilly tried so hard not to laugh, but she  
couldn't help it.

"Join in please, he's killing me here." Joe whispered to Tills but  
Richie caught him.

"You're hurting me here man," Richie put on the dramatic routine.

Tilly tried to sing, but laughter just over came here. It was really starting  
to feel like old times again. It made all the sad ones go away. She was so  
lost within herself she didn't know that someone else was there until he  
made his presence known.

"What's so funny?"

Tilly jumped out of her skin when Methos entered. "Dammit Methos, give a  
girl a warning next time," she said, clinging to her heart.

"I did, remember, we planned this" his arms making a motion to encircle the room "this afternoon," Methos reminded her. "I offered you a ride home, and you accepted."

It came back to her. He'd stopped by for his usual drinks. Lately, she  
chose to walk home, but she took him up on his offer when the rain decided to  
pour. "Oh right, sorry," she apologized, motioning her hand to her head as  
if she forgot.

Methos was a little concerned. "Are you all right?" he asked her.

"Yeah, believe it or not, I am." She assured him with a smile. "Just,  
um, let me close up. I got side tracked for a minute."

As she went to clean up, the soft tapping of a cane caught her ear. She turned to the stage and found that Joe and Richie had took their leave. She smiled. They might be gone but it was nice to see they could visit every now and then.

Fin.


End file.
